Dry-pipe valve for automatic sprinkler systems.



No. 813,350. -BATEN'TED FEB. 20, 1906 'E, s. CLAYTON. DRY PIPE'VALVE FOR AUTQMATIO SPRINKLER SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION FILED MAlLlfi, 1905.

' rmrrnn s ra rns ERNEST S. CLAYTON, ()F NEWARK,

NEW JERSEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

l atented Feb. 20, 1906.

Application filed March 18, 1905. Serial No. 250,833.

To al whom it may concern:

hers, through the medium of the water and Be it known that I, ERNEST S. CLAYTON, a l air pressures, cooperate in producing the decitizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of EsseX, State of New J ersey, have invented. certain new and useful Improvements in Dry-Pipe Valves for Automatic Sprinkler Systems, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to dry-pipe valves for use in automatic sprinkler systems, and has for its object to improve and simplify such constructions and to provide an ei'l'icient and efl'ective valve and one in which the parts retain their positions until such time as it is desired to have it operate and then when operating shall operate eflectivclyfor the purpose intended.

To these ends my invention consists in a dry-pipe valve embodyin the various features of construction an arrangement of parts having the general mode of operation and accomplishing the results substantially as hereinafter more particularly set forth.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of a valve, showing the parts in the closed position; and Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the parts in the open position.

The general purposes and objects of" a socallcd dry-pipe valve for an automatic sprinkler system are understood by those skilled in the art, and need not be set forth herein, and the desirability of providing such a valve which shall operate effectively to control the flow of water until the emergency arises when it shall be used and which shall then quickly and efl'ectively operate to supply tlic'watcr and not be liable to fail in any respect in doing so has long been recognized. It is the general object of my invention to provide such an apparatus, and I will now proceed to describe the embodiment oi my invention disclosed in the drawings, it being understood that theinvention is not limited to the precise details of construction and arrangement nor to the particular use that is made of the device.

In the drawings the parts are represented substantially to scale-that is, to the preferred sealer-it being understood, of course, that the partswill be properly proportioned and otherwise arranged to meet the require ments of any particular use. i

The valve case A incloses, among other things, four chambers with intermediate con-- nections and appliances, whereby these enamsired results. Of these chambers B may be termed the riser chamber, it being the chamber connected by-means of the outletB with the sprinkler-pipe system, which system under normal conditions contains air under pressure, so that the chamber B may properly be defined as a riser or air-pressure chamber. In actual practice it is preferable that the valve device shall be water-sealed, and under normal conditions this riser-chamber usually contains more or less water, which water may I be introduced through the opening B ,which may be connected to the draiirpipe of the sprinkler system and may have attached to it a valve and funnel to facilitate filling the riser-chamber with the requisite amount of water to form a water seal in setting the valve for operation.

The main or central water-pressure chamber G isprovided ed to the source of water-supply and under normal conditions isfiillcd with said fluid. The valve-case is preferably provided with a suitable hand-hole closed by a suitable cover device C by means of which access can readily be obtained to this portion of the valve.

The auxiliary waterchamber D is provided with an opening I), communicating with an alarm device, and with an opening D provided with a suitable drainage cock or suitable automatic drainage valve-check, being, shown, acheck-valve Q, arranged to allow water under practically no pressure, such as would be caused by a slight leak, to pass unobstructed, while any water under pressure or in considerable quantities would close the same and prevent its escape. it will be understood that under norn'ial conditions when the valve is closed there is little or no water in this chamber, and any water that accidentally leaks therein may be drained otl' through the drainage cock, or if sulliricnt water accumulates operated, calling attention to the fact, so that the chamber may be relieved oi' the water. lt-is also provided with a hand-hole closed by a suitable cover D permitting ready access to the parts with an inlet C and is connect therein the alarn'i will be a The diaphragm-chamber E is subjected to suitable way and is shown sprinkler system, so that the chamber E will be subjected to the same air-pressure as is found in thepipes. of the distributing system and in the riser-chamber B. This chamber E'is also provided with an opening E communicating with an alarm device R with a petcock a to indicate the presence of and discharge any water which might otherwise ac cumulate therein. I

It will thus be seen that the valve-casing incloses four chambers, two of which, as B and E, which are on the extremes of the valve-casing, are open to air-pressure, one of the intermediate chambers, as C, being normally open to water-pressure and the other intermediate chamber D being in the nature of anauxiliary, or, so to speak, operating chamberfin which the air therein is normally at atmospheric pressure and the chamber being fpracticallyiree from water; but when the val ve is operated this chamber receives Y the water-pressure in the manner hereinafter set forth. I

' The flow of water under pressure is controlled bye-triple main valvethat is, a valvewith three connected elements or ates. "As shown, the three valves or gates H L-are on one stem WV, and one has a rigid bearing on its seat, and the other two have independent flexible bearings. Mounted on one end of the rigid valve-stem W is the gate F, adapt'e dlto control the flow of water from the central water-pressure chamber 0 to. the riser-chamber B and the distributing system conneoted'therewith. This gate F may be variouslyfconstructed, but is shown as provided with a rigid bearing-surface F, cooperating with the valve-seat G, which seat is preferably of nickel, bronze, or other non-corrosive substance. Thegate H, also formed with or mountedon the rigid stem W, controls the passage between the central water-pres sure chamber C and the auxiliary chamber D, except for a provision hereinafter specified, and this gate is shown as provided with a flexible ring-bearing H 006 erating with the ring-seat I, which is preerably of metal,

The stem W extends beyond the-gate H in the form of a tube K, and its open end forms a valve-seat K, while its other end is normally open into the chamber C through 'the passage or passages K'.

The chambers D and E are separated from each other bya flexible metallic diaphragm N, which is shown as supported by a non-corble' valve and valve-seat, which is independent of the flexible seating of the gate H and the rigid seating of the gate F.

The gates or valves are shown in Fig. 1 in their normal closed position, where they remain until the valve is o erated. I provide some suitable mechanica supporting means for the rigid stem and parts carried thereby,

and in the present instance I have shown the arms X X connected to the stem in any suitable manner, as by the collars X and mounted in the chambers B and C on the hinged su orts Y Y, suitably secured to the walls of thevalve. These arms are preferably curved, and when the valve is operated the rigid stem and its connections assume the position indicated in Fig. 2, so that the passages through the valve will tend to remain open.

While the relative proportions of the open ings in the valve may vary, 1 have found that the following dimensions are practicable and desirable. The openings B and C are each, for instance, four inches in diameter. The opening closed by the gate F is preferably of similar dimension, while the opening closed by the gate H may be assumed to be five inches iii-diameter. The passage in. the extension K is one inch in diameter and the diaphragm has an ex osed surface of four inches in diameter. Vi 1th these relative dimensions and assuming, for instance, that the water-pressure is one hundred pounds per square inch it exerts a pressure .upon the gate F, tending to open the same, of 1,256+ pounds and upon the auxiliary-chamber gate H a pressure of 1,963 +pounds, less the area of the one-inch opening in the extension K, or 78 pounds, equaling 1,884 pounds pressure, tending to maintain the gate H closed. Thus the excess of water-pressure in the chamber C, tending to hold the gates closed, is 588+pounds. Assuming, then, that the air-pressure in the riser-chamber B and diaphragm-chamber E is fifteen pounds to the square inch, the air-pressure on the face of the gate F, which may be assumed to be four and one-eighth inches in diameter on its face, will be 200 +pounds, tending to maintain the gates closed, while the pressure on the diaprhagm N in the chamber E will be 188 pounds, tending to displace the gate F, and this deducted from the airressure on the gate F in the riser-chamber eaves an excess pressure on the same, tending to seal or seat the gate F, of 11+ ounds. From this it will be seen that wit a valve of the dimensions assumed the excess of pressure tending to seat the gates over the pressure tending to open the gates is 11 pounds excess air pressure added to 548 pounds excess water-pressure, or a total of 56U+pounds It is further evident that any increase in waterpressure in the chamber C, due, for instance, to water-hammer or other cause, will further tend to seat the gates or hold them on their seats until perchance a water-pressure of two hundred and forty pounds is reached, which would balance the pressure exerted by the air on the diaphragm N and transmitted through the button M to the spherical gate L on the one-inch opening in the tubular extension K. Should it be necessary to provide for water-pressure in excess of this limit, (two hundred and forty pounds,) it will of course be necessary to increase the air-pressure to withstand the same. In this way it will be seen that the valvefurnishes an effective construction, wherein the valve-gates will remain seated under relatively great changes in waterpressure, and at the same time it involves a relatively low air-pressure in the distributing system, and the parts are so arranged andcooperate together that when this air-pressure released the valve will open quickly and completely and remain open without danger of being accidentally closed.

The operation of the valve in cases of emergency or necessity is exceedingly simple. Upon the unsealing of the air-pressure as, for instance, by the operation of an automatic sprinkler-head or otherwise-the airpressure released in the riser-chamber B and diaphragm-chamber E, and as soon this air-pressure is reduced to, say, 6+ pounds the water-pressure in the chamber C equalizes the air-pressure on the spherical gate L, which is held against the scat K, and upon a further reduction of air-pressure water passes through the tube K intothe inter A mediate auxiliary chamber 1), and the spherical gate 1, drops by gravity or otherwise to the bottom of the chamber. As soon as this chamber 1) iills with water the pressure on both sides of the gate ll becomes approximately equalized and the entire water-pressure of 1,336+pounds is exerted upon the riser-chamber gate F, and the gates are opened by the stem N swinging upon the arms X. ii for any reason the gates should be swung back upon their seats, the pressure due to the column ol' water upon the riser gate F and the pressure of the water in the water-chamber C against the gate ll would not reseat or sea ,the valve, because the intermediate or auxiliary chamber i) now being open to the wtiter-chamber (1 through the one-inch tube or passage K will equalize the pressure in said chamber, and the gate l1,

having moved. from the diaphragm by drop ping or otherwise, cannot again close the passage K, so that the waterpressure in the auxiliary chamber D would be equal to that in the water-chamber C and the gate F would immediately be reopened. After the valve has once operated automatically in the manner set forth it cannot again be set until the, movable gate L is manually placed in pos1-- tion, the various gates seated in any suitable way, and the air-pressure supplied to the riser and diaphragm chambers, In resetting the valve the supplyof water to the chamber C should be cut oil and sufiicient water be introduced into the riser-chamber B to form a seal which will tend to temporarily hold the parts in position before the air-pressure is applied to the system.

It will thus be seen that'by varying the"rel ative dimensions of the different arts of the valve it can be made 0 erative un er different pressures of water an air and be so arranged that it is inoperative under relatively great changes of water-pressure, due to water-hammer or otherwise, and that it will only operate by changes in the air-pressure, and when such changes occur it will quickly operate to supply water to the distributing system and to continue said supply without liability of interrupting the same until the desired results are accom')lished. 4

While I ave described the valve I1 as loose, so as to fall completely out of position by gravity, it may 'be pivoted to swing downward or may be otherwise automatically movable out of its position or movable from its seat.

\Nhat I claim is- 1. in an apparatus of the character dcscribed, a casing containing four chambers, two in communication with distributingpipes and both containing air under pressure, one in communication with a source of Watersupply under pressure, and the other under atmospheric pressure, a valve closing the communication between the water-supply chamber and that under atmospheric pressure, and arranged to seat under the waterprcssurc, a second valve 'littcd to a port of less diameter than the first seating against the water-pressure and closing the con-imunication between the water-chamber and one ol those under air-pressure, and means whereby a reduction of pressure in the air-pressure chambers causes said valves to be opened, substantially as set forth.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a casing having two chambers communicating independentl y with dist'ri buting-pipes normally con-' taining air under pressure, a water-chambcr conuuunicating with a source of water-supply under pressure, a chamber under atmospheric pressure, a port between the latter chamber and the water-chamber, a port of less diameter between the water-chamber and water-pressure, and a thir 1o 3. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a valve-casing having four chambers, one of the chambers being connected to be normally under waterpressure, of assages connecting said cham- 5 er to two ot er chambers, one under atmospheric pressure and the other under air-pressure in excess of atmospheric ressure, a diaphragm interposed between t e air-pressure and atmospheric-pressure chambers, a valvestem supporting valves controlling the passage between the water, air and atmospheric chambers, and a valve controlling the passages between the water and atmospheric chambers and seated under air-pressure, sub- 2 5 stantially as set forth. I

4. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a valve-casing having a chamber connected to be normally under Water-pressure, a riser-chamber nor- 0 mally under air-pressure, and an auxiliary chamber under atmospheric pressure, of passages between the water-chamber and both the riser and auxiliary chambers, a valve having gates closing both said passages under valve seated against the water-pressure by air-pressure,

substantially as described.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a valve-casing having a chamber connected. to be normally under water-pressure, a riser-chamber nor mally under air-pressure, and an auxiliary chamber under atmospheric pressure, of passages betwoen the water-chamber and both 4.5 the riser and auxiliary chambers, a valve having gates closing both said passages under water-pressure, a third valve, and diaphragm connected therewith whereby to seat said valve by air-pressure against the water-pressure, substantially as described.

6. The combination with the valve F con trolling the port between the air and water chambers of an automatic fire-extinguisher, and seated under air-pressure, of a connected valve H seated under water-pressure to hold the air-pressure valve to its seat, and means whereby to admit the water-pressure to both sides of the valve H on a reduction of the airpressure, substantially as set forth.

eiasao 7. The combination of the casing having a 6c.-

chamber communicating with a Water-supply, a chamber under air-pressure, and one under atmospheric pressure, with a port between the water-chamber and each of the other chambers, a valve having two connect- 6;

ed heads closing said ports under water-pressure, a second port between the chamber under atmospheric pressure and the wat chamber, a valve closing said port, and a dra phragm maintained on said. latter valve by.

air-pressure, substantially as set forth.

8. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a valve having a water-chamber connected to be normally under water-pressure, an auxiliary chamber 7;

under atmospheric pressure, and a diaphragm-chamber under air-pressure, of a valve havin a tubular extension, a ate for the assage etween the Water-chamber and auxi iary chamber, and a movable gate con- 8 gate normally closing the tubular extension under the influence .of the diaphragm and supported to fall-from normal position when 4 the diaphragm is moved, substantially as described. I

10. In an apparatus of the character de- 9 scribed, the combination with a valve having a water-chamber connected to be normally under water-pressure, a riser-chamber under air-pressure, an auxiliary chamber under atmospheric pressure, a diaphragm-chamber I under air-pressure, and a diaphra In between the diaphragm-chamber and auxi iary chamber, of a triple-seated valve having gates controlling the passages between the Waterchamber and. riser-chamber and water-chamx ber and auxiliary chamber and a tubular extension into the auxiliary chamber, and n independent ate control ing said tubular extension an controlled by the diaphragm, substantially as described r In testimony whereof lhave signed-my name to this specification in the presence p" two subscribing Witnesses.

ERNEST s. cLAY' JN Witnesses;

O. A. Gaupwarrn, G. F. HUTcHrNGs 

